A case study of the noticing-reformulation technique

The research questions addressed in this case study are: 1) Is the Noticing-Reformulation technique effective in improving a Brazilian foreign exchange student's pronunciation of selected phonetic features as demonstrated in spontaneous speech and through reading aloud selected texts and 2) Is the Noticing-Reformulation technique perceived by the student as being an effective technique for improving pronunciation? The features included in this study are: /I/, /ð/ and rising intonation in yes/no questions. The study is modeled after Smith and Beckmann's 2003 action research study investigating students' perceptions of the usefulness of the Noticing-Reformulation technique. Data was collected through a mixed quantitative and qualitative research design. Results indicated that the technique was effective in improving the student's pronunciation of the selected features and that the student found the technique to be effective in improving her pronunciation after six weeks of use.